Here's the second chapter, not as long as the first one but it serves as a prelude of what's to come next XD I'll respond a review now.

RosyMiranto18:

I didn't know that Inaba was based on Fuefuki, that's interesting. Taking that into consideration now there's a high possibility of cameos. I'll focus on my characters first. I'll research about the Takeda Clan and see if I can add something to the story, it might make it more interesting. Also, if you want you can suggest me a couple of things to improve the story and even Personas if you want, I'll take everything into consideration. Each character has a different opinion and thought about the mystery surrounding Aokigahara and the disappearances. Kurumi's character is deep and I'm leaving pieces here and there so you can speculate what kind of person she is.

Yes, Kenji picked up a Shadow's mask XD

Yes, I decided to go with Norse Mythology in this one. In the beginning, I thought about Celtic Mythology but when I saw the last Thor movie I decided to change my original idea because I found interesting the idea of Ragnarok and the Mythology as a whole. Hideaki is Temperance instead of the Fool because the story separate from the Persona trend of the protagonist always being a Fool. He's not starting a Journey, he's overcome it and searching his place in the world.

That's all for now, enjoy it and leave a review please :3 I want to know your opinion.


Chapter 2: The Incident

(Kurumi Shinozaki's house - Evening)

Kurumi Shinozaki arrives at her house shortly after she leaves the convenience store, after talking with Hideaki. She was eating her last chocolate bar while unlocking the door and entering. Her house has two floors and was fairly big, one of the bigger houses in the neighbor. As soon she opens the door she was welcomed by a white little dog, running right at her and jumping around her. The dog, a little Siberian Husky, was barking at her and waving his tail happily. Kurumi closes the door, lock it with her key, and pat the dog on the head briefly before walking away. The dog followed her to the kitchen, she opens the bag with dog's food in it and pours a little on a plate, leave it on the floor and the dog starts eating almost desperate. Kurumi sigh while looking at her dog eating his food.

"You've been starving since I left, didn't you?" She asks quietly and the dog bark at her then resume eating. Kurumi pets him carefully.

She wasn't planning on preparing dinner. She avoids it and go straight to her room and shut herself inside, leaving the dog outside for a little while. She hears the dog scratching the door, wanting to go inside with her, but Kurumi ignores it. She let herself fall to her bed and take out a pack of cigarettes from her pocket. She hasn't opened it since she bought it a couple of weeks ago and she wasn't planning to, it was a test she imposes on herself. Kurumi throws the pack to her night desk and stares at the ceiling. She stays there, motionless, staring at the white ceiling for about an hour, not even blinking, sinking in her bed and surrounded by almost absolute silence. She was enjoying the silence, she smiles at the peacefulness but it was short-lived, her phone pull her out of her comfort zone, disturbing the peaceful silence. She received a call. Kurumi stands up and looks at the screen. Her mother's name was showing on it. She ignores the call completely without a second thought and let it pass. It didn't stop there, her mother tries to call her again, she tries almost five times before giving up. It all went straight to her voice mail which Kurumi erase without even hearing it.

Then the phone ringed again, Kurumi look at the screen and this time there was an unknown number. She ignores that one too, leaves the phone on the table and go back to her bed but stopped when the call was answered all by itself and Kurumi hear weird noises coming from her phone. She turns to her phone and picks it up.

"This again? I think I need a new phone..." She looks at the screen, it was showing an unknown number and weird noises, almost like screams, were coming out of it. The phone turns itself off after the call ended. "What piece of crap"


(Unknown Location)

Hideaki stay still as he watches the battle unfolding. Sleipnir, his Persona, charges against the Shadow that turn into a Minotaur. Sleipnir charge with his horns pointing at the Shadow's head. The Shadow raise his hands and attempt to stop Sleipnir with his bare hands. Sleipnir crash against him and the Shadow grab it by the horns but couldn't stop it, Sleipnir was stronger than him. The Shadow tries to push it away but Sleipnir's overwhelming raw power was too much for him. Sleipnir neigh and push the Shadow away, his eyes glow red and let out a high-pitched neigh. Sleipnir stands in his four lower legs and stomps with the rest, the floor beneath the Shadow break and it falls inside the giant crack. The Shadow tries to recover but Sleipnir didn't let him, he jumped right at him when he wasn't looking and stab him right in the head with his horns, breaking the Shadow's mask in half and turning it into dust. Sleipnir saw his enemy defeated and let out a high-pitched neigh before disappearing in front of Hideaki's eyes. Silence followed shortly after and Hideaki, confused and scare, crawl to his wheelchair that was a little far away from him. He didn't care, he crawls and halfway to his objective he stops to take a little rest. He wasn't used to crawling, much less in the cold and dirty pavement. He sighs and without hearing or notices it before a person appears in front of him. This person was wearing a white overcoat, a red mask and had a katana in her right hand and a short shotgun in her left hand. In her right hand was visible a black tattoo just like Hideaki's, but this one was a wolf and the number 13 on top of it. Hideaki tries to get away from that mysterious person and raise his hand, ready to summon Sleipnir again if it was necessary.

"Get back! Don't get any closer!" He said and the person takes out the mask to reveal his face. Hideaki's eyes widen when he saw the person's face, it was Kaede Reiho, the owner of the Antique Shop. "Y-You?" Kaede kneels in front of him and grabs his right hand where the black tattoo appears. She then looks at Hideaki in the eyes and smile.

"Are you alright? It must've hurt a lot" She said. Hideaki wasn't expecting that. He was still confused and didn't know what it was going on. He needs answers before he finally snaps and loses it. "Let me help you" She take Hideaki and sit him with care in his wheelchair. Hideaki takes out all the dust and dirt from his clothes. "How are you feeling... Um... Sorry, but I never get your name"

"Oh...Mm, Hideaki Kiyohara... Thanks, Reiho-san"

"Are you confuse?" She asks and Hideaki decided to be sarcastic. He was angry but he didn't want to yell at her.

"Noo, I'm perfectly fine. I just saw a magic horse saving me from a Minotaur. It was perfectly normal"

"There's no need for you to be sarcastic"

"Sorry, it's just that this is too much for me now. I mean... Look at the moon! It's red!" Hideaki point at the moon and Kaede ignore it.

"Yeah, it's hard to ignore that fact. Listen, I owe you an explanation, that's for sure but I won't give it to you here. I'll take you out of here first. You are not safe here. You just awaken your Persona so you are dangerous to "them" and they won't hesitate to rip you to pieces" Hideaki was about to make a lot of questions about what Kaede just said but she didn't give him time to talk. She takes Hideaki's wheelchair and drives him to the alley. Kaede took off her white overcoat revealing the clothes she was wearing that same day. She put all her belonging in a box that she was hiding in that same alley, including her weapons and the mask. She closes the box and takes Hideaki to her shop. She stops right in from of the showcase and waits. Hideaki look at the showcase, everything was in place and there were no significant changes from when he saw it after school, but he notices something strange, not inside the showcase, but in the glass. The glass of the showcase always show a little reflection from the people walking by but now he couldn't see his own reflection, instead, he saw Sleipnir staring at him. He looks at Kaede and saw a giant black wolf with a white broken mask staring at her.

"Wh-Wh-What the hell is happening?"

"Raise your hand and touch the glass at the count of three" She raises her hand and prepares to touch the glass. Hideaki did the same and wait for Kaede's signal. "One... Two... Three!" They both touch the glass and Hideaki instinctively blinked. He then looks up and the moon was back to normal with stars appearing once again in the night sky. "We are back. See? It wasn't that difficult"

"Yeah... Wait! What was all that just now!? You owe me an explanation right now and I won't leave until I at least know what the hell was happening! A man died in front of me, that's messed up! And that monster! And that... my... Persona?"

"He talked to you, huh? That's interesting. Also, I thought you'll be more freaked out about that man dying in front of your eyes, it seems it's not the first time you saw someone dying" She said and Hideaki look down, he remembers his parents' death. "Sorry, it must've been difficult for you. Come on in, I'll make some tea and explain everything to you, when we are done I'll take you home" Kaede open the door of her shop and Hideaki enter. Kaede leaves her box near the cashier and took Hideaki to the back of the store, just like she said before the store was both her job place and house at the same time. At the back, there was a kitchen and at least five rooms, one of them being her bedroom. Kaede stops in the kitchen and starts preparing tea. Once they wait Kaede sit down at the table and look at Hideaki from head to toes.

"Well... To be quiet honest, this is a little weird" She said.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, first of all, you are the first Persona User I found. I've never seen another one besides my father. You are lucky I found you. If another Shadow appears right after that one you kill then we won't be having this conversation at all" Kaede explain. "On top of that, your movements are restringed so you can't escape or defend properly"

"Those things... Are called Shadows?" Hideaki asks with uncertainty.

"Yes, we call them Shadows and they are... Well, I was about to call them monsters but they are beyond that. Think of them as the darkness of the world, the negative thought, etcetera... They act like a predator when they see a human in their domains"

"Wait, slow down a little" Said Hideaki and take a deep breath. "Start from the beginning, because I can't process all that information you are throwing at me"

"It's not that hard to understand... But fair enough. You just got attacked, it was expected to be a little confused... Now, where should I start?" Kaede thought for a moment and came up with the answer pretty quickly but the water was boiling, she stands up and minutes later she brings tea. She places the cup in front of Hideaki and he took it with shaking hands. "Take it easy, it's hot" Hideaki took a sip and leave the cup on the table.

"Thanks... So..."

"Yes, well... to make it simple for you to understand, there are two worlds, the one we live in and the dark world, where the Shadows live. From time to time, Shadows can jump to this world to drag victims to their world, but sometimes a human is lured to that world. That's what happens to you, you were lured" She explains.

"You mean like... a Trap? I don't remember seeing anything weird before ending up in that messed up place" He said.

"Of course you did... The Red Moon. You saw it, right?" She asks and Hideaki's eyes widen, remembering the Red Moon. "My Grandfather used to talk about that moon, he called the Blood Moon. It appears every day at different times of the day, even before night if the moon is visible in the sky, it will drag that person to the Dark World where is always night"

"Wait, you are telling me that the moon chooses me?"

"No, it can't. It's only a mean to drag people to that place. The moon is not alive"

"I see... So this world... has always been there?" He asks a very interesting question.

"I don't know... My grandfather discovers that place a long time ago... Oddly enough it looks like it's only affecting Kofu. Outside of it, the moon doesn't turn red. It's like... There's an invisible field or... Maybe the city is cursed as my grandfather used to suggest. He went on and on about curses and that this place was going to end up devoured by humanity's worst nightmares... I don't believe in that kind of things"

"So you don't know how it came to be or why is the way it is?"

"Exactly. What were you expecting?"

"I don't know... Maybe I was expecting too much"

"I don't blame you. People always want answers to every single question. Even I want to know what is that place exactly, but no one can give me that answer. Is not like the answer will fall from the sky and even if we knew, what can we do about it? Probably nothing"

"... I assume that you don't know what Shadows are either"

"Actually, I do know" That surprise Hideaki. "Shadows are like Personas and vice-versa"

"... I don't get it"

"Of course you don't... Well, Personas are like "mask" that we adopt and show to the world. A Persona is your true self, your true personality, and Shadows that the opposite. All the things that people hide and don't want to show, negative emotions, rage, anger, jealousy, lust, etcetera. Shadows separate from people and roam in that world, feeding on people's mind... They feed off their emotions and in extreme cases... Eat their brains"

"Ugh... That disgusting"

"Tell me about it... Shadows were responsible for most of the suicides in Kofu. Leaving their preys with nothing to live for... No hope... Nothing at all. They become "hollow" if you will"

"So the suicides were their doing?" He asks and Kaede nodded. "Why didn't you told the police?"

"... Are you hearing yourself?" Kaede asks in disbelief. "They won't believe me. Consider the possibility that they believe me and I show them evidence... Then what? There will be only panic in the streets if everyone discovers this. It's better to let them live oblivious of the Shadows existence"

"But... Then who is taking care of them? Who's protecting the people?"

"You are looking at her," She said and smirked. "I'm the only Persona User here and the only one that can kill them... Well, now you are a Persona User, but you won't be of any help, even if I ask you"

"Excuse me?" Hideaki asks, a little offended. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean, look at you... You are in a wheelchair. You can't fight"

"... I feel a little offended by that statement alone" He said. "I mean, I just kill one of those things"

"I didn't saw the fight, but if you ask me, a Shadow could take advantage of your situation. I think the one you just fight got cocky"

"Well... Yeah... I mean..." Hideaki looks down, at his legs and sigh. "This... this is not what we should be talking about at all. Just because I'm in a wheelchair doesn't mean that I'm useless. I'm not"

"..."

"So... If you are in this alone... And I'm the only Persona User besides you... It's only natural to think that we should... You know... join forces..." Kaede chuckled and shake her head.

"I appreciate your offer, but I'll give you some of the reasons you can't help me"

"I think I know the first reason..."

"First, you can't walk"

"No shit... Tell me something I don't know"

"Second, you just awaken to your power. You need to practice. Third, that world will affect your mind, twist it and go insane if you are not careful enough. Fourth, there's a high chance that you won't last 5 minutes without my help. Shadows will take advantage of your condition if they surround you. You were lucky that only one attacked you, imagine two of them or worst... a big group. They'll tear you apart in the snap of a finger" Kaede explains. "Also, this isn't a game... I saw things that you won't believe. Things that defy your logic of the world as you know it. I want to protect you, that's why it's best for you to just sit there and let me handle this situation. I've been doing this for a while, believe me. I got this"

"... But..."

"I know what you are going to see... "I can't let you do this alone", "I have this power, I have a responsibility too", "I want to help people". I know all those cliche lines, so keep them to yourself. Just... stay here, go to school, study and all that. Don't worry. Focus on what's important now for you and that is to survive high school. After that, we might talk, but in the meantime, stay here and don't get in my way"

"... But knowing that a world like this exists and I have the power to do something about it... I just can't let that go so easily"

"I understand... but believe me. This is for your own good. You'll thank me later for that"

"Maybe you are right, but"

"That's enough... Please, stop" Kaede drink her tea in silence and Hideaki did the same. There was a heavy silence in the kitchen, a silence that lasted for minutes before Kaede stand up and decided that it was time for Hideaki to go back home. She goes with him to make sure that he arrived safely and after that, she went back to the store.


4/6 Saturday (Sundaikofu High School)

The next day was raining, the clouds cover the sky and the rain wasn't planning on stopping any time soon. The classroom was in silence as the teacher was giving a lecture. Hideaki wasn't paying attention, he was staring at the rain outside of the classroom. He was remembering yesterday's events and he couldn't sleep last night because of that, even though Kaede explain what was going on that didn't make things easier at all, in fact, it made them harder to digest. Not only that, he felt horrible. The fact that another world exists and it's full of monsters is unsettling, not only that, he has the power to help, but couldn't... Actually, he can, but Kade doesn't want him to get involved. In a way he agrees with her, he didn't want to push his luck too much further, he felt like he cheated death enough with the car accident and that Shadow from yesterday but he didn't want to sit and do nothing, knowing that there are monsters outside and he could help. Not only that, Igor and Annabelle... They were present in his mind when he summoned Sleipnir and it was not going to be the last time he sees them. Hideaki looks at his hand, where his tattoo was. The tattoo disappears and he didn't notice it until he arrives home yesterday. He wonders why...

Hideaki found himself looking at the window most of the time, even during lunchtime, he didn't move at all. He was thinking about what had happened and he was debating about what should he do next. He was glad to know what he got himself into but at the same time, he wishes he didn't. He often hears the phrase "Ignorance is Bliss" and he understands it very well now, he wishes to not know and be happy but that goes against his sense of morality. He always had that issue, he wants something but at the same time want the complete opposite. Someone shake his shoulder, breaking his concentration on his thoughts, he turns to see Kurumi sitting next to him. She pokes her desk with her pencil and looks at him.

"You have what I asked for?" She asks and he nodded. "Good. Lunch just started so we have time. Come with me" She stands up and gets out of the classroom. Hideaki follows her which gain him the stare of most of the classroom. He ignores them and follows her to the end of the hallway, near the bathrooms. He gives her three chocolate bars, the deal was two bars, but he added one more hoping to get in her good side. "The deal was for two chocolate bars, not three"

"I know, but take it as a gift," He said and Kurumi took the bars.

"... Alright, I'll take it. But it won't change a thing. I'll show you around, but only that"

"Fine with me. So, where do we start?"

"Come with me, I'll show you the Club's building" She took Hideaki to a little tour around the school. She had some troubles helping him out to take him down and up the stairs, but despite that everything went smoothly. Kurumi explains to Hideaki that the clubs are all in the Club's building that connects with the main building, where the classrooms are. At the back of the school, there were the training grounds, where the soccer and track teams practice twice a week. "So, where you in a club in your all high school?" She asks out of curiosity and Hideaki answers right away.

"I was in the track team, but then the accident happens and I stop going... I also was part of the Art Club. I'm pretty good at drawing but I'm not in the mood to draw, it bore me"

"I see... So you have talent but you'll rather be doing something else. I understand that one"

"Glad that you understand..." There was a little silence between them while going down the hallway in the Club's building. "What about you? Are you part of any club?"

"Yeah, right... I'll waste my time in a club after school instead of doing something productive" She said with anger, like if she was holding a grudge about something.

"I see"

"Anyway, I show you the place already. I'm not showing you the Faculty Building because only teachers enter there and they don't let the students in" Kurumi explains. "Let's go back, lunchtime is almost over and I want to be there as quick as possible" Hideaki and Kurumi go back to the main building and he saw the rain through the window, it wasn't stopping any time soon and on top of that the clouds were black, covering the sky and it almost looked like it was already late. He tries to make a small talk with Kurumi but she was avoiding him now that they were heading back to the classroom. They were at meters from the classroom's door and Hideaki stops her.

"Hey, Kurumi... Thanks for showing me school" He said and Kurumi sigh.

"... It was a deal. You did your part, I did mine, it's over"

"Yeah... I guess so. Still, I wanted to thank you and-"At that moment Hideaki and Kurumi hear a female student screaming. The scream came from their classroom. The scream was followed by a lot of students talking to each other and some of them even came out of the classroom to search for a teacher. Mashiro came out of the classroom, he looked surprised and a little scared.

"Hey, what happens?" Hideaki ask him

"You are not going to believe what just happen," He said. "A man just kill himself outside," He said and Hideaki's eyes widen. Kurumi blinked and whisper to him.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure, I just saw it! We all saw it! He just enters through the school's gate and slips his fucking throat with a damn knife! That was insane!"

"Goddamit..."

"How? I mean, why?" Hideaki asks, shaking.

"How should I know, he just did it... I can't believe what just happen. This is crazy"

Hideaki then felt something out of ordinary. His right hand was twitching a little. He looks down at his hand and his tattoo appears again. His eyes widen and cover the tattoo with his other hand. Luckily, nobody saw the tattoo.

"What is happening?" He thought.

Later that same day, the police arrive with an ambulance. They took the corpse after the police took pictures of it and gather as much information as possible. The only witness at that moment were the students of the 3-A classroom so they were asked about the incident. Kenji Murata was the officer that was tasked to interrogate the students about the man that commit suicide. He remains calm and tries his best to calm the students down, at least the ones that were shocked. Alongside him, Rintaro Sadamoto helps him and check the student's roster. They use the Student Council's room and call each student in order. The last student they questioned, a female student, stand up and leave as soon as she came. She was one of the more shocked students.

"That was tough," Said Rintaro.

"Tell me about it... Who's next?" Kenji asks and Rintaro checked the roster again.

"Umm... Kiyohara Hideaki. He should be here in no time" They waited for a couple of minutes, but Hideaki wasn't coming. Kenji stands up and was about to go after him until a teacher opens the door and push Hideaki's wheelchair in. Kenji and Rintaro didn't know that Hideaki was cripple. Hideaki moves his wheelchair to the table and looks at them. Hideaki sigh and was the first to talk.

"Sorry, but I won't be of much help. I wasn't in the classroom when it happens?" He said.

"Where were you?" Rintaro asks.

"A classmate, Kurumi Shinozaki, was showing me around the school," He said and Kenji raises an eyebrow.

"I see" Kenji write down Kurumi's last name as a reminder. "So you two didn't see the man outside?"

"... No" He answered. "We saw it after he commits suicide. We saw his corpse, nothing more"

"Well, if you weren't in the classroom at the moment so there's nothing we can ask you. Sorry for taking some of your time, Kid. You can go" Said Kenji and Hideaki move to the door. Kenji stands up and opens the door for him.

"Thanks," Hideaki said and leave the room. Kenji closes the door behind him.

"So far, every testimony's been the same and they all say almost the exact same thing," Said Rintaro.

"Yes... The man seems to be struggling with something, almost fighting with something that wasn't there with a knife in his hand... He then stops moving and killed himself with his own knife. This is strange"

"Strange is not the word I would use, Sir. I'll call it... Odd"

"Still, we need to finish this and then go back to the station"

"Yes, Sir"


(Antique Shop - Afternoon)

Inside the Shop, Kaede was cleaning the place and occasionally watch the rain hitting the showcase. She likes to watch the rain falling. She stands near her showcase and watches calmly as the water hit the street, creating little bubbles. She smiles a little and could smell the rain, she loves the smell that comes with the rain. Her moment of calm was interrupted when she felt her right hand twitching a little. She looks down and her tattoo appears on her skin, violently and she could hear her Persona inside her head, warning her of an imminent danger. Her eyes widen and then run to the door, she goes out and looks around.

"I'm still in the real world... That means... A Shadow came in... But where is it?" She looks up, the clouds were black and it almost looked like nighttime. She then saw a Shadow on top of the convenience store, staring at the horizon. The Shadow looked like a black mass with spider-like legs and a red mask. The mask had the number sixteen on it. The Shadow then look at Kaede and jump away from building to building until it disappears. "Shit! Now of all times!? I need to go after it before it kills someone!" She runs back to the store, grabs her keys and gets back outside, close the store and run away, chasing after the Shadow.

"I lost it... Alright, Fenrir, guide me!" Kaede raises her hand, her tattoo shine and her Persona, Fenrir, appear in the street. A big black wolf with a white broken mask on its head and red teeth. Fenrir howl and chase after the Shadow. The few people walking down the street didn't saw Fenrir or hear it. They were unaware of it or even the Shadow. "I hope I'm not too late"

Little did Kaede knew that there was already another Shadow in the area... And already claim a victim... Now it was searching for its next prey in Sundaikofu High School...